Dragon Knight
by WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken
Summary: The story of a Space Marine, from selection to initiation as a Brother-Marine. Rated M for violence and drug references. OC. My first story.


Petyr has lived in the shadow of the Red Keep his entire life. The city of Sundial spread out from its thick walls in every direction. Close to the wall was the narrows, the poorest and most wrenched part of the city, where the gangs held sway and where the Watch only ventured in in their patrol cars, if at all. It was said that the Knights of the Dragon wanted it that way, as it allowed them to easy access to those who could survive and thrive in a hostile environment. If it were true it worked, for Petyr thriving in a hostile environment was a way of life.

Petyr was bigger than most of his friends and at only sixteen years, had half a dozen scars. One of these scars crossed the bridge of his nose in a downward stroke from a dispute over territory on Rope Street, another was on his leg where a defaulting fishmonger had picked up a gutting knife before Edmure, his friend since boyhood, had gutted the bastard, and his abdomen was a mess of scar tissue where a Watchman's shock-maul with a faulty power governor had discharged when Petyr had resisted during a drug raid. The latter was his third, and most treasured. The pain of the wound and the four years in Coldridge prison for attempted assault of a Watchman that had come with it had been a valuable lesson for a 10-year old in the value of patience and an entry way to the Judged, a powerful gang in the Narrows. For a son of a glass-whore it was the highest calling in life.

Now he sat in the passenger seat of a borrowed taxi with current registration (taxis were good because they had an excuse to be parked while occupied), waiting down the block from a bar, the Old Haunt, which fronted for illegal casino that was tonight's target. He'd been there for two hours. Robert was in the driver's seat and Edmure was lying down in the back seat. Petyr was just watching the street, trying to decide if anything was different from the week they'd spent watching the store before tonight. He'd even sent Edmure and Lysa (one of Edmure's current girlfriends and a member of the crew) in to see what was inside, they'd lost close to three hundred dragons at the tables but it had been worth it to learn about the shotgun and pistol the barman kept under the bar, the two obvious guards in the bar-room, and the two in the casino, plus the three armed men playing at the tables. Not to mention that the cash was stored in a metal case under a table, rather than in a separate room, which meant things could go faster.

High overhead a flying vehicle was headed towards the Red Keep, Petyr spent a brief moment wondering if it was a Thunderhawk transport or a Stormtalon gunship

Finally, Petyr decided all was as it should be. It was nearly one in the morning, anyone who was coming to the casino was there and the money would all be in the boxes, but the suckers would not be ready to leave yet. The Watchmen weren't in the area, and there was a radio in the other car tuned to the Watch's frequency to warn them if they didn't stayed that way. The eight members of the crew were all wearing Watch-issue balaclavas and body armour, brought from a corrupt officer, and armed with shotguns, so there could be no tracing of weapons.

Petyr spoke into the radio that was slung over his shoulder, also purchased from a corrupt officer, "let's do this". Robert turned on the ignition and drove calmly up to the door of the bar; while from the other direction, a SUV also drove towards the bar. Robert stayed in his seat but left the engine running, as Petyr and Edmure hopped out and followed Eddard, Lysa and Catlyn who had been in the SUV, which was driven by Mace, down the steps to the Old Haunt.

Lysa kicked in the door and pointed her shotgun directly at the barman, "Sir, if you think that I cannot paint the wall with your insides with this shotgun from all the way over here then you are sorely mistaken." The barman raised his hands in surrender. Eddard and Catlyn covered the other patrons; Lisa pulled the barman from out behind the bar and searched him before pushing him toward the tables. Edmure and Petyr stripped the two guards of their weapons. Cat stayed behind to keep an eye on the bar while the others broke down the door to the casino. This time Petyr led the way in and fired a shot into the roof "on hands and knees and heads bowed down, now." The people in the casino did as they were told.

"I see heads start to rise, violence is going to ensue. What we are after is not worth your lives, so let's have no undue fuss." The team quickly disarmed the guards. Petyr walked over to the counting table.

The man at the table showed some spirit. "Don't think you'll get away with this you bastard son of a glass-whore, we have friends in the Watch who will find you."

Petyr pointed his shotgun at the man. "Firstly, there's no cause to be bringing my ancestry into this, especially seeing as yours is no better. Secondly, I don't see your friends here, so maybe it's time to get some new ones. Thirdly, I would be more concerned that this sort of thing might happen again, and it will." He paused, to give the statement a moment to sink in. "Now open the box." The man did as he was told.

Inside were stacks of bills of almost every denomination; Eddard and Edmure stood guard while Petyr and Lysa packed the money into eight bags. Once that was done Petyr took three, Lysa and Edmure two, and Eddard one, using the other hand to point his shotgun threateningly at the patrons as they left. Petyr dropped his extra bag at Cat's feet before and the group walked out the front door and piled into the cars. Quick and simple, Petyr liked to think that was how the Knights of the Dragon would have done it, not that the Knights of the Dragon would have been knocking over a casino, they were too busy fighting the Emperor's enemies to worry about such minor concerns.

The taxi and SUV took separate routes back to The Pale Mare and made many turns to make sure they weren't followed. The money was dropped off, the taxi and SUV returned to their respective owners and the shotguns, vests and radios were stored in different locations in the city. Then, there was celebratory drinks to be had and money to be counted. The Judged would need their cut, but that was small because the robbers were all members and the raid had been one of several against Marconi's casinos, aimed at bringing him under the protection of the Judged. The rest, more than 35,000 dragons, was divided equally amongst the seven members of the crew. At 5,000 dragons each, it wasn't bad for a week's work.

It was almost sunrise by the time Petyr walked out of the Pale Mare. The light of the city was being enhanced by the first light of Madrigal's violet sun. Petyr was tired all he wanted was to get back to his loft and sleep the whole day. In the years to come he told himself that that was the reason he never saw the men in camo-cloaks until they discarded them. One of them aimed a large gun at his chest. Petyr drew his own pistol. He was about to fire when another one of the men wrenched it out of his hands.

"He has fast reflexes, for a human." It was at that moment that Petyr realised exactly who he was dealing with.


End file.
